Sad news from Brazil: Former F1 driver Fittipaldi (80) dies

Wilson Fittipaldi Jr. died on Friday at the age of 80. The Brazilian had been in hospital since 25 December, the day he choked on a piece of meat during lunch. The former F1 driver was then taken to hospital, where he suffered a cardiac arrest. As a result, 'Wilsinho' died.

Wilson Fittipaldi was the brother of Emerson Fittipaldi, a two-time Formula 1 world champion. He may not have been as good as Emerson, but Wilson did have a respectable career in Formula 1. He eventually competed in three seasons in the premier class of motorsport, racing in 38 Grands Prix.

Competitor of Hunt and Lauda

Born in São Paulo, Wilson raced in both single-seaters and touring cars in the 1960s. In 1966, he was active in Formula 3 in Europe, but it was not a success. In 1970, the Brazilian tried again in F3, this time against renowned drivers such as José Carlos Pace, Niki Lauda and James Hunt. A year later, Wilsinho raced in Formula 2. Finally, in 1972, he made his debut with Brabham in Formula 1, and he earned fifth place in the 1973 German Grand Prix.

After his F1 career, Fittipaldi went to work in his own country. In recent years, he could still regularly be found in the F1 paddock, especially during the Brazilian Grands Prix.